AN: School Starts Day. Not really a holiday, but I needed a chapter here before the next one. XD
NH
NH
NH
With August, came the beginning of the school year.
Marion swung her feet in her chair as she waited for the class to start. She didn't mind school too much. With the Kids' Stage, school was the place for her to hang out with her other friends.
"Alright class, let's settle down."
Her friend quickly sat over next to her. Marion lightly shook her head. She was always cutting it close. Kind of reminded her of Sora. She lightly grinned. Her teacher wrote down a page number in the textbook. She opened her mythology textbook, flipping through.
"Ok, yesterday we learned about the Greek gods of Mount Olympus. Then, the god that holds the world on his shoulders..."
"Atlas!" Someone chimed in.
"Very good! And today we'll learn about some of the common tales." The teacher wrote on the white board. "Does anyone know the story of Pandora's Box?"
"It's about a girl being stupid," the class jerk snidely replied.
A couple of kids giggled, Marion frowned at the boy. He was always saying mean things.
"Jake, what did I say about name calling?" The teacher sighed. "See me before lunch." With a light shake of her head, she continued, "It was said that Pandora was the first woman created. The other gods gave her gifts and one of those gifts was a jar, given to her by Zeus." She drew a jar on the white board. "However, this jar was special. He told her to not open it for it held the evils of the world."
Marion stared at the images in the book, seeing Pandora with the jar.
"Thinking to sneak a quick look, she cracked the lid just a little bit..."
The next page, many dark things swirled out of the jar.
"That tiny crack had been enough to open the jar completely."
"Why would she open it, knowing what's inside?" Marion asked out loud.
The teacher smiled. "Haven't you ever been so curious about something, even though you were told not to look into it?"
Sora lightly panted as she stood still on the indoor trampoline.
"You're still practicing?"
She smiled as Ken came over with her towel and water bottle. "Practice makes perfect."
She stepped over to the edge, wiped her face and then settled down along the rim of the trampoline. She leaned over to kiss him. In the corner of her eye, she saw something shift in the doorway. She paused, lightly frowning. She didn't need to guess to know who it was.
"Something wrong?"
She turned her attention back to Ken, lightly pecking his lips. "What brings you here?"
"Just wanted to see if a certain girlfriend had time for lunch before the schools get out and we're crazy busy."
"Hm." Playfully, she put her arms around his shoulders. "Which girlfriend are we talking about here?"
"The workaholic redhead always in shorts."
"Hey, I've worn skirts too."
"Denim skirts, which makes them practically like shorts."
"Ok, I might be fixated on jeans." She giggled, rubbing her nose against his. "If you admit that you are fixated on what I wear."
"It's just an observation," Ken lightly flushed, "Not a fixation."
"I thought the girl was supposed to be the blushing one in a relationship," she teased, tweaking his nose.
"Wooow. Pulling out the gender stereotypes."
"I'm just joking around." She hopped off of the edge. "I think it's cute that you do."
Ken gave her a flat look. "My manliness has considerably shrunken since dating you."
She laughed suddenly.
"What?"
"Manliness? Haha! You're not the manly type."
"It was a joke." When she continued to laugh, he sighed. "It wasn't that funny."
"S-Sorry, the idea just -hah!"
A little peeved, he started to walk off.
"Hey, wait up!" She frowned when he continued to walk. She jogged up to him, catching him in the hallway. "I asked you to wait."
"And I asked you to stop."
"I can't just stop laughing on command." She put her hands on his shoulders. "I know it was a joke, Ken." She tried to nudge his nose, but he turned away. "Aww come on, grumpy. No frowny faces."
He lightly pulled out of her hold. "Stop."
"Ken?"
"I don't like it when you do stuff like that."
She lightly frowned. "Like what?"
"The whole 'baby talk.'"
"I don't do baby talk. That's my 'cheer up voice'."
"But it sounds like you're talking to a kid. And I'm your boyfriend."
"I know you're my boyfriend."
"Really? 'Cause sometimes I think you forget."
She blinked at that. "Ken I don't -"
He walked off. This time she stayed in place.
"I don't forget," she muttered under her breath. She looked at her watch and then huffed. So much for eating together. She turned around, seeing the person leaning against the wall. "Leon. Unfortunately, I'm not surprised."
"I did not come to surprise."
"No, you just came to be your fantastically annoying self."
She walked past him. He followed behind. Her brow ticked.
"I'm too hungry to put up with you," she half whined. "So whatever twisted reason you have for following me is going to have to wait!"
She reached the side door leading directly outside. The door was promptly shut. She looked up at the hand above her that was keeping it closed. She whirled around, frowning up at him.
"I said I'm not dealing with you today!"
Without warning, he hoisted her on his shoulder. She squeaked at the sudden action, but then started to purposely slide down out of his hold. His arms came up, one around her lower back and the other behind her knees, pinning her legs against him.
"Let me go, you kidnapper!"
"You can stop wiggling. I'm already aware of your...assets."
"What the -" she halted suddenly, thinking about her position. Her chest was along his shoulder and her butt..."Hentai!" she shrieked.
He opened a door, felt for the light switch and then closed it. "I do not know what you said."
She was plopped onto a mat. "Pervert!"
"I did not touch you inappropriately, so the yelling is unnecessary."
"But you were thinking inappropriately! Don't deny it!"
The corner of his mouth twitched upwards and then went back to neutral. He crouched suddenly, making her eye him warily.
"We will merely talk."
She looked around and then gave him a half glare. "In the training supply closet?"
He lightly shrugged. "Not many options, given your inability to converse in normal settings."
"Says the guy that stares at me from the shadows."
"Observing privately," he corrected.
"In. The. Shadows."
"Whatever I say will not change your opinion."
"It's a fact. Not an opinion."
"We are digressing from the original topic."
"Which you so poignantly have yet to tell me."
"I'm surprised you know such an advanced word," he coolly murmured, "given your low maturity level."
"What?!"
"Hush," he chided.
She stared at the index finger touching her lips, not daring to move. When she did not say anything else, he slowly removed his finger. She shuddered a little at the light brushing feeling he was causing. He felt her breath, drawing his eyes to where he had placed his finger.
He stood up. "There will be tryouts."
"But we're not done with Beauty and the Beast."
"Did I say it was for the stage?" he bit out.
She bit her bottom lip nervously. His behavior was strange, almost unpredictable.
He quietly let out a breath. "It's for a competition. But through invitation only."
"Competition?"
"If your name is on the list, you need to be ready."
Sora was silent as she considered him. He seemed so solemn about this.
"And you?"
He lightly frowned. "What about me?"
"Will you be ready?"
"Professionals are always ready."
"I guess but..." she stood up to better read his face. "I don't think you are."
His grey eyes were piercing one second and then hazy the next, as if a memory flitted across his mind. She frowned a little, reaching a hand out to him. She softly gasped as he grabbed her hand before it reached him.
"Worry about yourself."
He lightly pushed her hand down and then left the supply closet. She stared at the closed door. Then, with a determined face, she got up and threw the door open.
"Not so fast!"
He was walking to the door leading outside when she shoved herself between him and the door. He quirked a brow at the sight of the petite redhead trying to block his way.
She put her hands on her hips. "Where do you think you're going?"
"We're done."
"No we're not. You don't say things like that and then walk away!"
He calmly lifted her up and put her to the side. She blinked at the new position she was in and then followed him outside.
"How dare you move me when we're talking!"
He kept walking away. "You're shouting at me. We are not talking."
She ran right in front of him, stopping him. "The competition is on trapeze, isn't it? Which means it'll be a duo performance, with you." She tiptoed up, glaring at him. "You can count me out."
His eyes were steel. She didn't flinch when his hands went around her upper arms. She wasn't going to move away if that's what he was thinking.
"Don't lie to yourself."
"I don't," she confidently said. "I actually say what I mean, unlike you. I've experienced your performance before. I don't know what all the hype was about."
His hands tightened around her arms, but not painfully. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, but at the same time, he could. He didn't miss the quirk of her mouth, the haughtiness of her voice and the complete lack of fear.
"I could say the same," he smoothly retorted back.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "You didn't give me any reasons to want to impress you."
He brought her dangerously close, even lifting her off of her feet.
"You are the one that wanted me."
Her eyes widened. "What?"
"Kalos told me about the selection process. You were the deciding vote that brought me here." He lowered her to her feet, one hand going to her chin. "Then after Saiyuki, you begged me to stay."
"Because you were being a diva about it!"
He pulled her chin upwards. She took in a sudden breath, looking up at him even if she didn't want to. She didn't think she had ever seen his eyes so intense before.
"You chose me," he murmured. "If not as a partner, then what for?"
He let go of her. She did not follow.
NH
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AN: Added some details...but that's why this is AU/Canon. XD
We still have several holidays, so don't think things will be going smoothly for the people involved. Thanks so much for the reviews! I'm happy people are excited for this!
Honestly, I don't know completely how a story will go until I type it, so it's almost like I'm reading along with you all. :3